Klifurgrindin er ný, og litla stelpan klifrar upp á hana aftur eftir hádegi.

to be

Breakdown of Klifurgrindin er ný, og litla stelpan klifrar upp á hana aftur eftir hádegi.

• lítill: little
• aftur: again
• nýr: new

Questions & Answers about Klifurgrindin er ný, og litla stelpan klifrar upp á hana aftur eftir hádegi.

Why is klifurgrindin one word, and what does -in do?

Icelandic very often builds nouns as compounds.

• klifur = climbing
• grind = frame, rack, climbing structure

So klifurgrind is a compound noun meaning a climbing frame or jungle gym.

The ending -in is the definite article attached to the noun, so:

• klifurgrind = a climbing frame
• klifurgrindin = the climbing frame

Unlike English, Icelandic usually puts the at the end of the noun rather than as a separate word.

Why is it ný and not nýtt or nýr?

Because the adjective has to agree with klifurgrindin in gender, number, and case.

Here, klifurgrindin is:

• feminine
• singular
• nominative

So the adjective must also be feminine singular nominative:

• masculine: nýr
• feminine: ný
• neuter: nýtt

That is why the sentence says Klifurgrindin er ný.

Why is it litla stelpan instead of lítil stelpa?